Off World
by Raven-Musashii
Summary: Three high-schoolers, JJ, Kirby, and Jess are taken to Mirrodin to stop Memnarch from ruling the Universe! Chapter 2 Status: Online.
1. Prolouge: The Very Beginning

Mwuahahaha! Welcome to my first fanfic. As I was reading the Mirrodin Saga, I wondered, "What if Glissa Sunseeker was killed as she was planned to by the levelers? Who would unleash that mana?" So, I decided to see to it that it was done, in a similar fashion. Behold my work, "Off World"!  
-Memnarch's Apprentice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Chapter 1: Prolouge  
  
The day dawned bright and clear. JJ Kooms, age 15, sat up in bed. His brown eyes glanced at the clock. Its digital readout said 8:30. Just what he had set his alarm to. As if on cue, his alarm went off, starting with its "NASA Certified" lauch countdown, leading into a digital version of "Revelee." He rubbed his eyes. Getting out of bed, he noticed how cold the floor was. It was to be expected, as it was October. And the East Coast has cold Octobers.  
  
He got dressed in the usual fashion. Jeans. T-shirt. Sweatshirt. Underwear. Not in that order. Looking to his dresser, he saw his Magic: The Gathering deck sitting there. The light from his lamp reflected off of the covers he put on them. Picking up the top card, he looked at his favorite card: the Sundering Titan, from the Darksteel Expansion. It cost 8 colorless mana to play, but it was worth the wait. It boasted a whopping 7/10 power, and its effect was killer: When it came into and left play, the controller could select one land of every basic type (Island, Swamp, Forest, Mountain, Plains) and discard it. Truly a powerhouse.  
  
At the bus stop that morning, he was greeted by his friend Kirby McMahon. Kirby always spiked his hair, and for some reason, had dyed the tips pink. He said it was because he was named after a video game character, but JJ thought that, secretly, Kirby liked the color pink.  
  
"So, what's happening?" said Kirby.  
"Nothin' much, I guess." said JJ back.  
"You got your cards?" inquired Kirby.  
"Right here." said JJ, patting his pocket. "And you?"  
"You got it." said Kirby, showing off his deck. The two began to chat as more people showed up to the bus stop.  
"Have you thought about the trade?" said JJ.  
"'Memnarch' for 'Sylvok, Rouge Elemental'? I think not." said Kirby.  
"What if I throw in a 'Vine Kami' from 'Champions of Kamigawa'?" said JJ slyly.  
"....I dunno." said Kirby finally.  
Then the bus pulled up. Everyone got on. As they took their seats at the back of the bus, JJ felt a tug on his jeans. Looking to his left, he saw his other friend, Jess Harun. She was wearing her hair down around her face.  
"Morning JJ, morning Kirby." she said with a yawn.  
"Lemme guess. Reybold's english paper?" said JJ.  
"Yeah." she replied with another yawn.  
"Hmph. I got that done two days ago." said JJ, sitting down.  
"Well, I waited to the last minute." said Jess.  
"Can you keep it down?" said Kirby. "I'm tryin' to get some shut-eye."  
"Sor-ry." said JJ, putting his headphones on. He began to listen to "Danse Macabre" by Camile Saint-Saens, but, he thought he heard a voice. A mechanical voice, like someone laughing manaically. "Did you guys hear that?" said JJ.  
"Hear what?" said Jess.  
"It sounded like someone was laughing evilly." "Nah. Must be the wind."  
Kirby glared at them. "What part of, 'keep it down' didn't you understand?" said he.  
"Once again, sorry." said JJ. He went back to his music, but the thought of the laughter still haunted him.  
  
The school day was quite boring. Upon arrival home, JJ recieved a call inviting him to a battle over at Kirby's house. "I accept." said JJ.  
  
Locale: Kirby's House (I am gonna do this for all new locations.)  
  
Sitting upstairs in Kirby's house, JJ and Kirby had their decks out. About half the battle had been played already.  
  
JJ's deck was a modified "Special Forces" Blue-Black deck from the Mirrodin Saga. Kirby was using a modified "Core Set" deck, and his specialty was Green-Black. Their HP's were at JJ, 15, and Kirby, 12.  
"Looks like I'm winning." said JJ.  
"Not just yet." said Kirby. "I'll use this: Betrayal of Flesh." He tapped his 6 lands needed and aimed the spell at JJ's lone defender, the Dross Prowler(2/1). It had held Kirby's forces back with it's ability, Fear, but now nothing stood in the way of Kirby's creatures. He had a Treetop Scout(1/1), a Venomous Dragonfly(1/1), and had just brought Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary(2/1) to the field. "You're finished." said Kirby.  
"No way." said JJ. "Your attack doesn't add up to 15 HP."  
"It does when I do this." said Kirby. He tapped his Rofellos to gain 6 more Forests (as he already had 6 in play) and tapped another 1 Forest.  
"I play... Mythic Proportions!" he said triumphantly.  
"So?" said JJ. "Even with Mythic Proportions, I still have 5 HP left." "Yes, but I'll finish you next turn." said Kirby evilly.  
"I think not." JJ drew his card and sighed.  
"What?" said Kirby.  
"NOW it's over." said JJ. "What do you mean?" said Kirby.  
"Well... first I'll tap 8 lands to play... the Sundering Titan! (7/10)" said JJ, slapping the card on the field.  
"So?" said Kirby. "Even though I lose land, you still can't beat me. I have twelve HP, and you have five. What can you do?" "This." said JJ. After discarding an Island from play, he held up a card that had been on the field from the very start. "My Empyrial Plate."  
"What does that do?" said Kirby.  
"Well, when I equip it to my Titan, it gives him 1/1 for every card in my hand." said JJ.  
"Well, then, it is game over." said Kirby, putting his hand down.  
"Truly an excellent game." said a disembodied voice.  
"Who said that?" said Kirby.  
"I dunno." said JJ.  
"I did." said something above them. Looking up, they saw a face sticking out of Kirby's ceiling.  
"Who are you?" said JJ, stunned.  
"I am Karn. The creator of Mirrodin." said the face. "And I have come for you two."  
"Why us?" said Kirby, also stunned.  
"Because only you two can free Mirrodin of the evil which lurks within it." said Karn.  
  
End Prolouge  
Short, no? Well, I've gotta go. Adios until chapter 1!  
-MemApp 


	2. Chapter 1: Enter Karn

Welcome back, for those of you who actually read the first chapter. I must say, this is going to get pretty exciting once things are underway. Stick around!  
-----Memnarch'sApprentice------------------------------- 

Chapter 2: Karn

"Us? Save Mirrodin?" said JJ.  
"Yep." said the face on the ceiling.  
"But why us?" said Kirby.  
"Well, first lemme take a more... physical form." said the face. As if on cue, a huge glob of ceiling dropped down and landed with a shplat on the floor. The glob then "flowed" upwards, forming into the shape of a golem about 1 and 1/2 feet tall. A set of eyes and a large mouth were apparent.  
"Let me introduce myself formally. I am Karn, the planeswalker." said the little figure.  
A bell suddenly rung in JJ's head.  
"Karn? THE Karn?" said JJ. "The planeswalker who created Mirrodin"  
"I am he." said Karn.  
"Wow." said JJ.  
Kirby, who had been sitting around impatiently, suddenly burst.  
"Seriously, who are you?" he said, pointing at Karn. "This has to be a trick"  
"I assure you," said Karn. "This is no trick"  
Kirby crossed his arms. "I still don't believe you." "I believe a demonstration is in order." said Karn. "Let me see your favorite cards." JJ looked at Kirby, and he stared back, skeptically. But all the same, they pulled their favorite cards. Kirby withdrew his Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary; and JJ pulled his Sundering Titan.  
"Now what?" said Kirby.  
"This." said Karn. "It" closed its eyes and and began to glow. The cards also began to glow. Suddenly, two beams of light shot upwards. From Rofellos, green, and from Sundering Titan, white. Then, like one sees when watching a show on digital animation, a wireframe of each creature appeared, then the wireframe filled in. They both flashed, then two real-live Magic creatures were on the floor, about 6 inches tall.  
"Woah..." said Kirby. He reached out and poked Rofellos. Rofellos turned and glared at him.  
"I don't think he likes you..." said JJ. "Sundering Titan, come here!" The Titan turned. Its yellow eye-scanners looked him up and down, then it lumbered (if something 6 inches can do that) over to him. It gazed up at him, then kneeled like a royal knight.  
"WoW!" said JJ. He reached his hand down, palm up. The Titan rose and climbed into his hand. "This is awesome"  
"Yes, and because you trust your Titan, JJ, it trusts you." Karn turned to Kirby. "You, on the other hand, need to trust your cards a bit more"  
"Uh... okay"  
"Karn..." back to what you were saying." said JJ, setting his Titan down.  
"Oh, right." Karn cleared his throat. "I require the two of you to save Mirrodin." JJ and Kirby affixed him with a blank stare.  
"You said that already." said JJ.  
"Oh, I did?" he said, mildly. "Well, let's get down to the facts.  
"As you may know, I created Mirrodin, then left it in the hands of my servant, Memnarch." began Karn. "And, he turned a tad crazy, imported thousands of "off worlders" from other planets, and has been cultivating them in hopes of obtaining planeswalker status.  
"Now, this would be fine and dandy except for the fact that Memnarch changed his tactics. He sent his Levelers out earlier than normal, so they killed Glissa before she could escape. Now, there is no one to stop him.  
"To further complement this situation, he has summoned forth 5 humans from this planet. To each he gave one of the "Bringer" cards, from "Fifth Dawn"  
"The Bringers?" said JJ. The Bringers were 5 creatures, each assigned to one element. They were all 5/5 with a high summoning cost, but, each one could be alternatively summoned by paying 1 of each color mana. Plus, they each had an effect which could do some serious damage to an opponent.  
"Yes. And, he has powered these Bringers up. They are now 10/10's each." said Karn gravely.  
"Uh-oh." said Kirby.  
"Yes. He sent each one of these people, known on Mirrodin as "Summoners of the Bringers", to the five areas. There, they have enslaved the local populations and are wreaking havoc." Karn sighed. "I would stop him, but more pressing matters lie elsewhere. Therefore, I ask you two to go to Mirrodin in my place, and stop him for good"  
Karn looked at both of them. "Will you accept?" JJ thought for a moment. "Will the time we spend on Mirrodin count as time spent here?" Karn shook his head. "No, it won't." "Okay, then I'm in." said JJ. He gathered up his cards.  
"And you, Kirby?" said Karn.  
"Yeah, why not?" said Kirby with a grin.  
"Then it's settled." said Karn. "You'll just need a girl to come with you to ensure that everything is balanced"  
JJ and Kirby froze in mid-pose.  
"A girl?"

* * *

I'm sorry it took so long to get this next chapter out. But, to me, sometimes, writing doesn't come easy. Anyway, until next time!

-MA


	3. Chapter 2: The Bet, The Fight!

Well, with the fact that I am now up later than normal, it seems that I will be able to maintain a schedule that allows for more updates. So I hope to have, at best, a chapter or two a week. Anywho, on to chapter 3! 

Memnarch's Apprentice ---------------------------------------------

"... So then this Karn fellow told you to get a girl to join you." said Jess skeptically.  
"And here we are." said Kirby.  
"Will you join us?" asked JJ. "It'll be fun"  
"Fun?" Jess pushed up her glasses. " 'Fun' is me kicking the crap out of you two in Super Smash Brothers Melee. 'Fun' is staying up till odd hours of Sunday morning watching anime. But this? I don't consider this 'fun"  
"Come on, Jess." JJ got onto his knees. "Look, if it makes you feel better, we'll be sleeping in separate tents." That comment brought Jess' hand to his face.  
"Perv." she said, dusting her hand off. JJ, sporting a nice hand print on his left cheek, sat up. "I'm still not going with you. It sounds like a bunch of lies to me"  
"But, it was real!" said Kirby. "I saw it with my own two eyes"  
"Yeah, and pigs fly"  
"They do! The Enquirer said so!" ((Barrump-bump--pssssh)  
"I'm not going, and that's final." said Jess, crossing her arms. She turned back to her computer. "There's nothing that you can do that can make me change my mind"  
"Oh yeah, Tsunade-sama?" said JJ, mockingly. "Then let's make a bet." ((For those of you who don't know, Tsunade is a character in "Naruto" who a) is horrible at gambling, b) is monstrously strong, and c) is very attractive to men)  
JJ wiped his brow. 'This might be costly...' he thought. 'But we need Jess with us'  
"I challenge you to a game of Magic. We'll use each other's decks." He offered up his Blue/Black deck. "If I win, you come along"  
"And if I win?" Jess' question reverberated in JJ's head. 'I don't like this, but'  
JJ sighed. "I'll go on a date with you"  
"What?" said Jess mockingly, cupping her hand to her ear. "What would happen if I win"  
JJ's face reddened as Kirby snickered behind him. "I said... I'll go on a date with you!" he exclaimed, staring at the floor.  
"Alright." said Jess. Kirby was rolling on the floor, laughing. JJ turned around and kicked him in the shin.  
"So, I'll use your deck, and you'll use mine." said JJ. "To make things fair"  
"No, keep your deck." said Jess. "I'll whup you either way, so I'd like to fight you're at your strongest." She sat down and began shuffling. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, looking up at him. "Let's go already"  
"Fine." said JJ, sitting down. Kirby leaned down and whispered in his ear.  
"You'd better win." said Kirby. "I wanna go on this, and I don't feel like being left at home while you go on a date"  
"Same here." said JJ. He finished shuffling. "All set"  
"Same." Jess placed her deck in the middle of the two. "Cut it"  
The two cut each other's decks, and returned them.  
"Let's go!" they said in unison. JJ drew his first hand.  
'Okay... not too shabby.' thought JJ. His hand wasn't that bad. In it, he had:  
Darksteel Ingot

Platinum Angel

Whispersilk Cloak

Two Swamps

Dross Prowler

One Island

"You can go first, JJ." said Jess. She was furrowing her brow as she surveyed her own hand. 'Must not have too much...' thought JJ, excited."Okay. I'll play a Swamp and end my turn"  
"I'll play Ancient Den, and end my turn." Jess placed the card on the field. JJ drew again, getting an older card, Wall of Air. "I'll play another Swamp." JJ set the card down.  
"I'll play a Plains." said Jess. It happened to be one of the 5 legal cards from the recently-released Unhinged set.  
JJ drew a third Swamp, but opted instead to play his Island.  
"Now," he said, turning them on their sides. "I'll summon the Dross Prowler!" He set the card down.  
What happened next, no one was expecting. The land cards glowed their respective colors, then an orb of energy appeared above each. The Island's was a small blue ball appeared to be made of swirling wind, and the Swamps' energy was a black ball, slightly larger than the Island's, that bubbled and splattered. The two energy balls merged, creating a blue-black mixture. It then turned into a beam which shot upwards, curved as it neared the ceiling, and fell back down onto the Prowler card. There was a flash, and then, a living, breathing Dross Prowler, about 5 inches tall, was standing on top of its card. It held its rusty golden dagger in one hand, and was issuing what JJ assumed to be noxious fumes from the tubes sticking out of its sides.  
"What the...?" said Jess, staring in wonder.  
"See?" said Kirby, pointing. "This is what we were telling you! This is the result of Karn's magic!"

"No." said a familiar disembodied voice. "I did not do this. JJ proved that he has it within him to truly summon a creature." Karn's image faded in, then solidified. He stood at a foot tall, and he looked up at Jess. "You didn't believe in what your friends have told you. Now do you believe?"  
"Y-Yeah..." said Jess. She went to put her cards away. "I'm coming with you"  
"Hold it." said Karn. "I believe you are in the middle of a game. You cannot just give up, as you have a bet at stake"  
"That's right." said JJ, emboldened. "We have a bet. I challenged you, I expect you to see it through to the end." Jess smiled. "Okay then. But don't expect me to back off because of this new development." She drew her next card, as JJ was obviously finished with his card. "I'll play a Plains, and summon the Emissary of Hope!" She placed the card on the floor. The Plains cards glowed white, and a large white ball formed above them. It resembled a ball of pure light. It shot upwards, arced down, and splashed onto the Emissary. In a flash, the Emissary of Hope was standing there, opposite the Dross' summoned fiend.  
"Heh." JJ grinned evilly. "Now, let's get down."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What better a way to end a chapter than with a cliffhanger? This ensures that you'll be back (maybe it doesn't, I dunno.). Anywho, will JJ win, or will Jess trounce him? Either way, stay tuned for the next episode of, "OffWorld"!

-Memnarch's Apprentice


End file.
